10-year jail term for man who stabbed friend over ‘old issues’

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a December 2016 ruling sentencing a man to 10 years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder a man following a brawl in an Amman neighbourhood in June 2015.

The criminal court declared the defendant guilty of attempting to kill his friend by stabbing him in the chest with a switchblade and was handed the maximum punishment.

The victim was rushed to the hospital where he underwent surgery to save his life. The attending physicians issued a report stating that “his injury was life-threatening”, according to court documents.

Court papers said that, on the day of the incident, June 4, the defendant saw the victim in a vehicle with a friend.

 “The defendant and the victim had old issues and, the minute he saw him in the car, he rushed towards him and stabbed him in the chest,” the court said.

The defendant escaped “immediately after the incident and was later apprehended by the authorities”, the court added.

The Criminal Court’s general attorney had asked the Higher Court to uphold the ruling saying that “it was appropriate and the defendant deserved the verdict”.

The Court of Cassation ruled that the Criminal Court proceedings were accurate and the defendant deserved the punishment.